ACCESS 4 marks 20 years on the air

November 11, 2005

SPRINGFIELD – ACCESS 4, Springfield’s public access television
station, will observe its 20th year of service to the community with several
special retrospective programs.

Segments of “Celebrating 20 years of Public Access Television” will air
Sunday, November 13, at 4:30 p.m.; Monday, November 14, at 8:30 p.m.;
Wednesday, November 16, at 5:30 p.m.; and Friday, November 18, at 9 p.m. The
guests on Sunday and Wednesday will be Carol Gaston, Alyle Lyle, John Kelker,
and Tom Shafer. Guests on Monday and Friday will be Jon Gray Noll, Pat
Graham, Joyce Jackson, and Bob Bartel.

ACCESS 4 is operated by UIS’ Office of Electronic Media and is open to
all residents of the Springfield area. The service is provided by an
agreement between UIS and Insight Communications, with funding provided by
Insight.

When the station went on the air in 1985, it was designed as a way to
provide access to the media to those who would not otherwise have it. Jerry
Burkhart, who directs the Office of Electronic Media, noted, “Today this
idea is just as important as it was 20 years ago. Public access television
has the ability to reach a wide variety of audiences, and these programs can
provide a vital link between individuals, organizations, and the community.”

In addition to providing a professionally managed forum for public
discourse and artistic expression, ACCESS 4 allows UIS students and local
producers to gain experience in television production under the guidance of
the office’s professional staff. Over the years, more than 13,500 locally
produced programs have aired and the station has garnered a number of
awards.

“Public access television is truly a great public service,” observed UIS
Chancellor Richard Ringeisen. “We are grateful to Insight Communications and
its predecessors for their continued support, and we look forward to 20 more
years.”

The Office of Electronic Media is a unit of the UIS Center for State Policy
and Leadership. For more information, contact Burkhart at 206-6799 or go to
the office’s website at
http://cspl.uis.edu/OEM/.

The University of Illinois at Springfield,
one of three U of I campuses, is a small, public liberal arts university
that
offers
42 degree programs – 21
bachelor’s, 20 master’s, and the Doctorate of Public Administration.
UIS has a special mission in public affairs and service and is known for
extraordinary internships, a wireless campus, extensive online offerings,
and a commitment to teaching.